RFI guest: Charles Beigbeder analyzes the new space economy
1 May 2026 • Expansion, Venture Deeptech • Back to news
Invited to RFI, Charles Beigbeder, entrepreneur, investor and president of Audacia, discusses the rise of New Space, a sector undergoing rapid transformation.
An economic revolution is underway
The space sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Long reserved for states, it is now opening up to private actors thanks to falling costs:
- satellite manufacturing
- launches into orbit
- embedded technologies
As a result, New Space is becoming a fully-fledged economic market, with concrete applications:
- global connectivity
- Earth observation
- future exploitation of resources
Three major phases of space exploration
Charles Beigbeder identifies three key stages in the history of the sector:
- A geopolitical phase, marked by the Cold War
- An industrial phase, dominated by large groups
- An entrepreneurial phase, driven by private actors
Today, space is entering a “classic” economic logic, open to businesses and investors.
A strategic issue for Europe
Faced with maker players like Elon Musk and the rise of the United States and China, Europe must accelerate.
New Space represents :
- a major economic opportunity
- a matter of technological sovereignty
Structuring a competitive ecosystem is now essential to stay in the game.
An economy geared towards infinity
Through this intervention, Charles Beigbeder reminds us that space is no longer a niche sector, but a pillar of the economy of tomorrow, at the heart of major technological transformations.